


Devil's Backbone

by kyliEisMC2



Category: Naruto
Genre: Alternate Universe - Western, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-11 23:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29375634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kyliEisMC2/pseuds/kyliEisMC2
Summary: Discontent with his life as a farm hand, Sasuke Uchiha leaves the Konoha settlement in the valley of fire to make a name for himself and restore his families legacy. Once he has done that, he can be worthy of the one girl who has only ever captured his eye, even though he has always been enough for her as he was. Years later he comes back after living a dappled grey life between cowboy and outlaw but things have changed. There is a new sheriff in town, in the form of the infamous outlaw gang known as the Akatsuki. And they have taken his girl.
Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Hyuuga Hinata/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 14
Kudos: 39





	Devil's Backbone

**Author's Note:**

> AN: HAPPY Naruto-AU week 2021. My contribution for the Western Prompt for Day 5. I was hoping to have more than the first chapter ready by now but alas, life. But I do plan to continue this when I have time. This is a SASUSAKU centered story but with have a dabble of NARUHINA as well. Song does not have a whole lot of play into the story but it was the song that inspired the title so feel free to check it out.

__

_Oh Lord, Oh Lord, what have I done?_   
_I've fallen in love with a man on the run_   
_Oh Lord, Oh Lord, I'm begging you please_   
_Don't take that sinner from me_   
_Oh don't take that sinner from me_

-The Civil Wars: Devil's Backbone

* * *

The western front. With its vast lands of wildlife and made up of unfamiliar terrains, it gave promises of thrill and excitement to rugged adventurers and prospectors who all flocked to discover and take part in the great expansion. But once the first explorers mapped out the lands and the waters, soon others began to pioneer westward. And it did not take long after the railroads began to reach the uncharted territories that more began to want a taste of the wild west.

Young families, entrepreneurs, and more civilized folk began to travel across the great expanse and settle down in the growing number of settlements found across the land. Soon what was once small outposts became functioning civilizations with schools, churches, banks, and of course there was no want for a saloon where those passing through would always find a place to rest their heads and wet their desert dry mouths.

Most of these settlements were found in rich valleys and along the rivers of the plateaus. And within one particular valley known as the land of fire, due to the intense heat of its summers and the rambunctious dreams that burned within its inhabitants, was one particular settlement known as Konoha. Founded by Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju, not many knew of its existence given the rough terrain that surrounded it. Fortunately, with Madara's ambitions and Hashirama's dreams, they turned the settlement into a small oasis of the west that for a long time flourished.

However, there was a reason why it was called the wild west. For as it attracted the adventurous and zealous dreamers, it also drew in the nefarious and ill intending exploiters. And those people looked at the people and community with eyes of corrupt prospectors, hungry for wealth and power that was taken, not earned. And those people had their eyes on Konoha.

But among the land of the good, the bad, and the ugly, there was also another group. The wanderers who rode the grey line between good and evil...They were not heroes or villains, just lone rangers willing to fight for the things dearest to them, wanting the best but not unwilling to do whatever it took.

* * *

A flash of lightning illuminated the storm clouds that were rolling across the plains and lit up the uneven ground as a lone figure on a horse made their descent from the high desert plateau into the once familiar valley. The light flickered out as quickly as it came just as a ground shaking thunder followed its counterpart. In the distance he could make out small squares of light coming from the lamps and buildings of the settlement but his destination did not reach that far. Instead he steered his horse to take a different course, eventually guiding the dappled horse beneath the weathered gateway posts of a farm that brought long ago memories that made the man approaching falter.

_...Five Years Ago…_

_A grainy image in sephora coloring depicted four figures grouped together in front of a barn. An older man wearing a worn hat over his messy grey hair stood in the back with a handkerchief pulled up over the bridge of his nose to hide the majority of his face. In front of him stood three young children, a smiling young girl between two scowling young boys, one fair haired and the other a raven haired, who had both obviously stopped fighting just long enough for the photo to be taken. Now the very same dark haired boy, now just barely sixteen years of age, stared down at the small photograph of himself and three others for a delayed moment. Finally he tucked it into his saddle bag, pausing for a moment as he let out a breath._

_Once composed, he straightened up. This was for the best, he told himself. Running a hand through his hair he grabbed the reins and clicked his tongue in a command for the colt to follow him out._

_There wasn't a single cloud in the sky which left a painted spattering of stars across the black canvas of the night sky. The crescent moon was just a thumbnail in the sky against the twinkling background it was set in. The soft breeze ruffled his hair as it moved through the valley until he slowly placed his hat over his head and quietly led his horse towards the front gate. A coyote let out a howl in the distance and his horse let out a nicker of worry._

_His hand went up to calm the horse, rubbing its neck and speaking softly to it as he continued to lead it through the night. Soon the only sound was his boots and the heavy thud each time the horses hooves hit against the dusty ground. He was just about to pass under the arching gateway of the farmlands threshold when he spotted a small figure standing near the supporting beam of the sign. Despite her usually rosey hair taking on a silver hue from the reflecting light of the terrestrials above, he knew who it was before she could manage to speak up._

_He came to a stop, his horse following his lead as he watched her notice his approach. "It's the middle of the night," he called out to her dark silhouette. She shifted and took a few steps forward, coming out of the shadow cast down by the wooden post gateway. "What are you doing out here? You should be in the house."_

" _Why?" she questioned quietly._

_There was a long pause of silence as the soft chirping of crickets filled the air._

" _You should go to bed," he responded, clicking his tongue as he began to proceed forward, only to come up short when she placed her small body in front of them. His horse let out a small nicker as his head jerked back and then settled as her small hand found his nose and calmed it. "Sakura, go back inside."_

" _I know you are planning to join him. You're going to join Orochimaru and his 'rangers'," she accused._

" _..." There was no denying it, yet Sasuke made no effort to confirm it either. He watched as her eyes widened slightly, as if she had been hoping her assumption was wrong._

" _Sasuke, you know what Kakashi said, they are nothing less than common outlaws. He won't make you an honest man."_

" _You don't understand."_

" _If you join Orochimaru he won't make you a better person. That man is evil, he is just going to use you. I know he told you things, but he is a deceitful man and a liar. Those kinds of people can't keep their promises because they are broken before they are even made."_

" _That's fine because I am using him just as much as he plans to use me. But again, you wouldn't understand."_

" _Then talk to me, explain why you have to leave?" She quickly gave in rebuttal. "Has my family not been good to you? Has Kakashi not taken you under his wing, taught you how to work, how to shoot, how to ride? What can Orochimaru teach you that he can't?"_

" _It's not just about learning things, Sakura. I also need to prove myself, make something of myself. I can't remain here for the rest of my life and be content with just being a farm hand," he tried to explain, his tone taking on a tinge of annoyance._

_He had planned to leave in the night so that he could go unnoticed, so that he wouldn't have to face anyone, and have to explain himself. So he would have to see her and be tempted to stay._

" _What is wrong with the farm?" she questioned in defense. "It's good honest work."_

" _I know that, Sakura," he said honestly. "But this…" he tried to find words to explain it without offending her family's hard work._

_It was a successful enough farm. It brought in the crops and did well enough to support a hardworking staff. But compared to the legacy of ranching that had made this valley what it was, it was nothing. Compared to the ranch he used to be a part of, the last of the original ranches in the valley, it was low. Sasuke was born and raised to be a rancher, to own land and make profitable expansion. To be someone worthy of the Uchiha name._

_But it was all lost before he could even truly begin to acknowledge the success of what his family had built. They had once been the biggest and best horse and cattle stocks in this valley and every valley within three states. However there was a fire that took everything his family had built for several generations in a single night. Not just what they built but his family itself was lost. Sasuke went from being one of the most prestigious families out west, to nothing but an orphaned farmhand. Having come from so high, it was hard to take pride in what he had become over the years when knowing what he could have been, was much greater. He may have lost his family, but the pride of the Uchiha name had never left him. It was his duty to rebirth it, to make it a name esteemed across counties._

" _...I just have to do this."_

" _..." Sakura stared up at him, her green eyes which were a darkened emerald in the dim star light moving back and forth as she took him in. "Then let me come with you. I can help you, we can make something of ourselves together. Just…-" she looked down at the ground- "...just please don't leave me."_

_Sasuke slowly closed his eyes tightly as he tried to ignore the hurt in her tone. He needed to leave soon. She was going to cry shortly and he hated it when she cried. It did things to him that made him act uncharacteristically. He took in a deep breath and slowly reopened his eyes._

_Gently, he lifted his hand and poked her in the middle of her forehead, causing her to take in a startled breath and look up at him. "Some day...but I have to do this part on my own," he stressed._

" _Why?" she questioned, wet tears building up in her eyes._

" _It's not forever," he responded quickly, hoping to stop the tears. "I will be back."_

" _And what if you don't? What if you leave and you change your mind, what if you find something better and don't want to come back? What if you find others and you forget us...forget m-me?" Her last words came out with a short sob that she caught as she bit down on her lip, looking insecure and nervous. When she seemed to compose herself, she looked up at him. "I-I love you Sasuke…"_

" _..."_

_She looked down at her feet when he did not respond. "I know you do not feel the same way...but I would do everything I could to make you happy," she said softly._

_She felt his hand cup her chin and tilt her head up as he looked into her face, his dark eyes memorizing every soft and delicate feature on the young woman she was slowly becoming. In a harsh world of dust, scorching heat, and venomous snakes and scorpions, she was everything that was delicate. A desert flower sitting atop a spiked and thorny cactus._

_Suddenly, his mouth was pressing against hers. His chapped and sun worn lips brushing against her plump and soft ones. He lingered there for an extended second then pulled away ever so slightly. Even in the dark he watched as her pale skin darkened with a blush and he himself felt slightly warmer than usual._

" _I will be back," he said in a husky whisper, his breath moving across her lips. "Not for Kakashi, not for Naruto, not for the farm...but for you. You are young, I am young. When I come back, then, then you can do all you promised, you can stay by my side until we are laid to rest side by side in the ground. Just give me a couple years," he requested. "Can you do that."_

_All she did was nod and that action had him swooping in for another taste of her, not able to bear going so long without another memory to embed into his mind. This time when he pulled away, he moved completely away from her, moving to the side of his horse and hoisting himself up and into the saddle._

_He gave her one more look. She stood to the side looking slightly dazed in nothing but her nightgown and a shawl wrapped around her shoulders. He gave her the smallest of smiles which she returned with a mournful look of farewell but also held a strong look of determination and hope. With that silent promise, he kicked his heels back and his horse shot forward, speeding into the night and taking him away._

_. . ._

He had asked for two years, she had promised two years, but he had been gone five. When one promise was broken did it also invalidate the other? Did she wait like she promised or did she too fail to keep her end? It was perhaps selfish to expect her to, but that is what Sasuke was, selfish. Sakura had been right, he did change. Would she even still want him?

Sasuke shook his head, clearing the images of the young girl begging him to stay from his mind. He had changed greatly since then and had he known what was to come, perhaps he would have made different choices. But in this moment and back then he did not know what would happen, all he knew is that the life of a farmhand was not what he had wanted to give her. Not after losing what he once could have given her, he had to regain it. But at some point he had wandered from that goal and he had not realized it until just recently. So he had come back, just as he promised.

He dismounted in front of the house, his spurred boots bringing up a cloud of dust that unsettled as they touched the dry ground. As it settled on his boots it went unnoticed as his dark eyes remained fixated on the glowing window panes of the house. The light of the parlor fire flickered and he could see a shadowed figure moving within the home from behind the curtains. Tossing the front of his poncho up around his shoulders, Sasuke began to stride forward, bowing his head as he adjusted his hat and led his horse to the hitching rail near the front of the house. That is until a shotgun fire filled his ears and exploded a few inches from his foot, causing him to come to an abrupt stop as the distinct sound of a barrel being emptied of its shell and reloaded followed the echoing sound of the shot.

"One more step and I aim a little higher," came the rough and older feminine voice of the shooter.

Slowly, Sasuke lifted his head and was greeted with the sight of Tsunade Senju pointing a double barreled shotgun at his feet. For a moment her narrowed face did not waver until a moment later when recognition set into her face. However instead of relaxing and redirecting her aim, the guns barrel moved up his body as she pulled it tighter into her shoulder and narrowed her eyes even more. Sasuke swore to himself as he took in the woman, cursing his unfortunate luck.

"Or maybe I should shoot you before you even think about taking a step," she revised. "What are you doing here Uchiha brat?"

Tsunade had never liked him. Sure she had a few valid reasons now, but she only ever needed his last name to old ire against him. Ever since his uncle Madara killed her grandfather Hashirama in a gunslinging show down in the middle of town, the last of the Senju family had always hated anyone with his family name. Despite the fact that it was her great uncle Tobirama killing Madara's brother Izuna that started it. The Senju had claimed it an accident but around these parts there were no accidents, just conducted coincidences.

The two of them stared each other down, neither moving nor speaking as heated glares were exchanged between them. Even as the approach of footsteps sounded, coming from the barn, neither moved. And it was not until the silence was broken by the third party that they were able to break away from each other's searing glares.

"Howdy," The silver haired man greeted, his eyes crinkled as the unseen smile beneath the ever present bandana covering his face remained hidden. He looked to Tsunade. "Supper ready?"

It was as if the fact that Tsunade currently pointing a shotgun at the boy now man, who used to be under his care, who left five years ago despite his numerous warnings against joining Orochimaru's rangers, resulting in the down spiral of questionable deeds Sasuke had committed within his absence, completely escaped him. He closed the distance between himself and his once charge, giving him a sturdy slap on the back.

"Sasuke," he began, "why don't you put your horse into the stables and wash up-" he looked at Tsunade- "Tsunade, why don't you put that there gun down, and we can get the table ready." When Tsunade nor Sasuke moved, Kakashi let out a tired sigh. "If Sasuke meant us harm or harbored ill intention to the farm I don't think this would be his approach, right Sasuke?" he asked, nudging the dark haired man.

There was a long pause before Sasuke let out a 'hn' of agreement and it seemed to be enough to convince Tsunade to lower the barrel. She turned around and entered the homestead, slamming the wooden door loudly behind her and leaving the two men outside alone. Kakashi started making his way to follow after the blonde woman. When he reached the stoop of the porch, he turned around with a foot on the first step as he tucked his thumbs into his belt. He nodded towards the large barn not far from the main house.

"You know what to do," he prodded. "Be sure to wash up before coming in, you know how Tsunade feels about dirt on the carpets."

* * *

Sasuke found himself seated at the old wooden table with a glaring Tsunade across from him and a masked Kakashi to his right, somehow managing to eat yet keep his face covered throughout the entire meal. The plate of stew in front of him was quickly growing cold in neglect as Sasuke's mind and eyes moved about from one thought to another each time his eyes moved from one spot of the homestead to another.

Finally he looked around at the table and he was suddenly struck with the peculiar emptiness of it. From his memories of the many years of meals he had at this table it had always lacked for an empty chair. It was always full of family members of the farm, immediate and extended, farm hands, neighbors, the random rover that was passing through town and had no money for a meal at the inn. Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno were always bringing in strays to their open hearth, even though they themselves never had much outside of the meager and humble farmland.

"Where is everyone?" he asked, breaking the silence.

"It's the off season," Kakashi answered. "Things have been a little tight lately so we haven't been keeping on the extra hands during the low seasons."

"And the Haruno's?" This question caused the other two to still suddenly.

Tsunade, whose definition of eating supper seemed to consist of just drinking whisky, set her glass down and gave him a hard look. "Typhoid. Three years ago," she answered minimally.

A sinking feeling filled his stomach as a creeping tightness began to manifest in his chest and making it difficult to breath. He stared back at her, shocked into disbelief. It seemed the agony he felt within his chest somehow manifested outside because Tsunade seemed to read something on his face that caused her to soften. Her hard stare moved down to her glass of whiskey and she swirled the amber liquid around, a somber look coming to her face.

"By the time I got the telegraph and arrived it was too late...there was nothing more I could do," she continued, her tone softening for a moment. After a moment of paused silence she cleared her throat and looked back up at him. "I stayed here after their passing to permanently run the farm and take care of Sakura."

The relief that came with that last sentence was like a first breath of air after being submerged in the deep depths of the ocean. However, that breath did not last long as another question came to his mind.

"Where is she?" he finally voiced the question that had been preying upon his mind since then he crossed over the property line.

Tsunade let out a bark of laughter at this question, causing Sasuke to narrow his eyes at her as she mirthfully looked at him. "Two years ago some fancy well-to-do dandy came through town and ended up pinning after her for a few weeks. I think it was after week three that he proposed to her, wanted to take her back east and display her on his arm like some desert flower plucked and shoved into his tailored suit lapel."

Despite the fact that sort of life sounded nothing like what Sakura would ever want, Sasuke found his hands grasping around his fork a little more tightly. The thought of some yankee-dandy flouncing Sakura around as if she were nothing but an accessory. At his reaction, Tsunade's honey colored eyes shined with mirth, obviously pleased with the reaction.

"Obviously, Sakura turned him down," Kakashi quickly chimed in, taking note of the bending metal in Sasuke's hand and unsure of what else would get bent out of shape if Tsunade continued to torture the young man.

Instantly Sasuke's body relaxed and he released a breath. "So she isn't married," he asked, looking to Tsunade and meeting her glinting honey eyes for conformation.

Tsunade scoffed. "Of course not. I would like to say she was smart enough to know that preening dandy would offer nothing but a dull life and children born to duty. But that foolish girl has had her heart stuck on some selfish farmhand turned outlaw who left her with a fantasy that he would come back for her someday." She let out a contemptuous laugh at the irony of it all. "But of course he would come back when it was already too late."

Sasuke paid no mind to her mockery, instead all he heard were her last words. "What do you mean too late?"

Tsunade let out another bitter laugh but did not answer him, instead she emptied her glass of whiskey and refilled it nearly to the brim. Knowing he was not going to get the answer out of her easily, he looked to Kakashi, his face pulled tight as he glared at the masked rancher who at some point had stuck his nose in a book of questionable content.

Kakashi let out a long, sad sigh as he tossed his book onto the table and leaned back into his chair. "A lot has changed since you left town, Sasuke. Started a couple years back when a group of outlaws disguised as prospectors showed up," Kakashi began, a melancholy tone to his voice. "It started with the mines. They came in and bought it up, then they took over the bank, then the saloon, and after their leader became mayor they bought up the rest of the town. They even own the church, one of their own is the pastor of it, though Hidan doesn't preach of any God I know."

"And what does this have to do with Sakura?" Sasuke prodded, wondering what the state of the town had anything to do with her whereabouts.

"The two years following after you left were a bit difficult," Kakashi continued, seeming to not acknowledge his question. "The first year there was a flash flood that came through the valley and we lost half the crop in a single night, we tried to replant but an early frost kept us from harvesting any of it. That year was a meager year but then the next year was a drought. We did our best to irrigate with the river water but that too dried up and we lost the entire crop. In order to even afford seed to plant for the next year Kizashi had to take out a loan."

"That fool of a brother in law should have come to me," Tsunade muttered lowly.

"Says the woman who gambles her fortune away in a single night," Kakashi muttered under his breath before looking back at Sasuke. "Things were fine, we were making the payments easily enough after we had a more than profitable season. Until the new banker took over."

"Kakazu," Tsunade slurred as if the very name was a curse, the alcohol she consumed for supper finally catching up to her. "He came in and tripled the interest of every loan, making it damn near impossible to pay off."

Getting frustrated with the prolog of finding out Sakura's fate, Sasuke slammed his hand down on the table. "What the hell does any of this have to do with Sakura," he growled.

"Watch it brat," Tsunade slurred again. "That is mahogany!"

"I don't give a damn about your table or your new banker," he snapped back. "Where the hell is Sakura?"

Silence answered him and his heart began to thunder in his chest as a ghostly countenance took over each of their faces. Tsunade slumped forward and Sasuke watched as two wet drops landed on the wooden surface of the table.

"They took her," she said with a sob.

Sasuke, growing increasingly panicked and frustrated, looked at Kakashi. Grabbing him by the front of his shirt, Sasuke glared down at the man. "Who? Who took her? Where is SAKURA!?"

Calmly, Kakashi grabbed ahold of Sasuke's arm and forced him back down into his chair as he released his shirt. "The Akatsuki. There is a man in their gang, calls himself Sasori of the Red Sand, he took a fancy to her when they first rolled into town. At first his advances came off as persistent, but then they became obsessive. Since he is in cahoots with the banker, they struck a deal with each other. Sasori paid off the debt to Kakazu so he now holds the contract and deed to the farmhouse and the land."

"Kakashi," Sasuke began in an all too calm of tone that only indicated the dark danger that lurked beneath. "I am only going to ask this one...more...time. Where is Sakura?"

"They took her as collateral when we missed our third payment this year. Sasori is a man in the entertainment business, owns the brothel and saloon in town. He keeps Sakura there, has her work the stage singing and dancing."

"Made her into one of his little puppets that he controls, just like the rest of the girls of this valley who fit his bit. Suppose we can thank God for his obsessiveness because he won't let her entertain the other men except when she is on stage and out of reach of their grubby hands," Tsunade muttered as she spilt, more than poured, another glass of whiskey for herself.

There was a roaring in Sasuke's ears as a wave of emotions filled him. Rage and anger being the strongest. "And you guys just let him take her!?" he bellowed.

"Sakura made the choice to go to him without our knowledge. The foolish girl actually thought he would let her work off the debt, yet after a year the numbers have remained stagnant. Seems he likes to charge a pretty penny for her room and board. But now she has no other choice. Sasori hardly ever lets her out of sight except for Sundays, when he allows her to visit us and even then he has the rest of his gang watching her anytime she goes anywhere in the town."

Sasuke let out several curses. Some meant for Sakura and her stubborn need to bear the weight of other people's problems, and a few regretful cursings for not reading any of the telegrams Naruto had sent him over the years. Maybe if he had he would have known what was going on. But he had stopped reading them after the first month of constant notes begging him to come back. Speaking of which…

"And where was Naruto when all this happened?" he demanded. Naruto should have been watching over her, he should have known, he should have stopped her.

"Took off to play deputy to that pervy Marshall of the Law, Juriya. Trying to raise some extra funds catching outlaws to try and help raise some of the money." Tsunade let out a scoff at her answer. "Only thing that pervert will teach him to catch is a rash from some busty middle aged woman with ink dyed hair as she tries to convince patrons she's half her real age."

"How much do you still owe? Why not sell the land, get Sakura back and leave this forsaken settlement?"

Tsunade scoffed. "We could sell this farm three times and not even be able to pay it all off. We told you," she said, pointing a finger at him. "Sasori has made it impossible."

"Then run them out of town," Sasuke suggested.

"Sasuke, it's not that simple, they own the town, hell they own the whole valley."

"No," Sasuke cut Kakashi off. "You said yourself their outlaws."

"Outlaws that have power and money," Kakashi corrected. "You know those are the only two things that talk in these parts nowadays."

"So you're just going to give up?" Sasuke yelled.

"We are doing what we can. It's not like we can just upend the entire valley. There are other people who live here."

"And you don't think they are doing the same thing to them? Let this valley burn for all I care, you can't just leave her to their mercy." Sasuke ranted. "If you can't run them out of town then bury them beneath it! Kill them all!"

There was a bark of laughter that erupted into the room at his outburst. "You really don't know who the Akatsuki are, do you? They are all proficient gunsmen, hell even with just a knife most of them are more deadly than your average gunslinger."

"I don't care," Sasuke seethed between his teeth. "You have no idea what I have managed over the years. I will kill them all by myself if I have to."

Tsunade raised a blonde brow. "Really?" she questioned with disbelief. "Even your own brother?"

The room fell silent at her words. Sasuke stared at her, his face one of disbelief. Itachi was alive?

**Author's Note:**

> It's a bit of a mess and I kept going back and forth with how I wanted it to go and still deciding some future ideas. All the same, as always let me know what you think? I am planning for this story to be 5-6 chapters but no more than 10. Trying to keep it simple and light but still enjoyable, lord knows I don't need another big project XD


End file.
